The Grimm Lords
by Saera Of Chaos
Summary: Grimm were ruled by Grimm Lords before Huntsmen, and the Grimm Lords were forced to hide, until they were forgotten. Season Three AU. Major Character Death and Gore. Summary is terrible.
1. Prologue

**NEWS: I plan to start one chapter with a small section, then add on other sections to the same chapter. I should be able to update much more often. It's an odd plan, but if nobody protests, I'll keep it that way.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY**

Kyanite ventured through the forest excited, as this was her first mission while training to be a huntress. Before long, she came upon a tree scored by claws too large to be any normal animal. She smiled, thinking it would be easy to kill the Grimm, presumably a Beowolf. Kyanite drew her elegant two-sided blue sword and began searching for tracks. Upon finding a pawprint, she bounced happily on her toes.

 _I'll show them,_ Kyanite thought as she vaulted over a fallen branch. _I can become a Huntress and kill Grimm. Even if I wasn't qualified to go to Beacon, they'll have to accept me if I show them I can kill Grimm._

As Kyanite followed the Grimm's tracks, the forest she was trekking through became denser and darker, though Kyanite was too focused on her thoughts of reward to notice. Eventually the dirt beneath her feet turned to dried mud and the trail became muddled by thousands of other tracks.

Kyanite stomped her foot in anger as she realized there was no Grimm for her to kill, then looked around for a path back to civilization. Her frustration was soon replaced by fear as the trail she had followed was gone.

Kyanite quickly tried to find any sign of her own footprints, but they too had been lost in the forest. She decided to set off in a direction she hoped was the way back. _Please let there be someone looking for me. Someone's gotta come looking for me when they realize I'm gone,_ Kyanite thought desperately.

After hours of trudging through the forest with no sign of anything, Kyanite slumped to the ground, filled with despair and sun had been at its peak when she had set out, but as Kyanite looked up, the sky was purple and the shadows were long claws, grasping at her steel-toed boots.

Kyanite looked up hopefully when she heard a rustling in the shrubs, then drew her sword when she remembered that she was in a Grimm infested stretch of forest.

"Hello?" She said softly, fear making her voice catch in her throat.

The shrubs froze for a moment, then a menacing growl emerged. Kyanite's hands shook as she grasped the sword hilt with both hands, the pointed tip quivering in the growing darkness.A Beowolf leapt from the bushes, claws outstretched. Kyanite narrowly avoided it, feeling the rush of air where the Grimm had passed by her. She turned to face the creature, determined to kill it. Before she could see it, it pounced on her, biting her neck. She felt its saliva mixing with her blood as it dripped into her wound. She flailed her sword at its unseen presence, attempting to make it let go of her. Her sword bounced off part of its armor, though it did little to deter the Grimm. As her blood drained away, Kyanite's vision faded, and her arms went limp. Her sword fell through her unfeeling fingers and landed in the dirt with a thud.

* * *

Kyanite awoke with a throbbing pain in her neck, lying on a bed of moss. She opened her eyes to see bright sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees above her. She sat up slowly and surveyed her surroundings. She was still in the forest, in a clearing, with her sword close by. She snatched it up, trying to remember how she had gotten to be in the clearing. She closed her eyes in concentration, then remembered her encounter with the Beowolf.

Her eyes flew open, and she tentatively touched the wound. She gasped in pain as she counted the puncture wounds. There were seven in total, and each was deep, though as far as Kyanite could tell, only the two canine wounds were still bleeding. She searched through the pockets of her torn and bloody blue vest, finding a small scrap of white cloth and tied it around her neck, desperately hoping it wouldn't be fatal.

As she finished bandaging her wound, Kyanite sheathed her sword and looked around with a new purpose. Her wound was throbbing with each beat of her heart and her legs were weak from blood loss. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before she died. As Kyanite turned in a circle she had no indication of where to go. She chose a direction at random and set out, determined to reach a town of any sort.

After a while, Kyanite noticed her wound wasn't bothering her anymore, though she was highly aware of each and every puncture wound. When the sun reached its zenith, Kyanite leaned against a tree, feeling oddly aware of her own emotions. She shrugged it off before continuing on her way.

As the sun set, Kyanite felt a bolt of sadness and anger, however, it was not her own. Kyanite was surprised, then turned toward the source of the emotion. She began to run and emerged out of the forest on the edge of a cliff. Near the base of the cliff a small village sat, walled in, though Kyanite did not recognize it.

She began to climb down the cliff, taking care with her wounded neck. As she reached the entrance gate she felt a presence behind her that, while alien, seemed to Kyanite like a friend. She turned to see an Ursa walking behind her with no aggression directed towards her. Kyanite drew her sword warily.

 _Well? Are you going to make the small ones open the gate for us?_ Kyanite jumped as the thought meandered through her head. With a jolt of awareness, she realized it was the Ursa speaking to her; then in another realization, she understood the 'us' the Ursa said included her. Kyanite looked at the village, then at her sword, then at the Ursa, and it seemed to nod, like she had finally gotten the last piece of an obvious puzzle.

Kyanite turned to the gate and began to scream, "Anyone, please help! Please open the gate!"

 **A/N: Hello readers! This will be my first long story, and I intend to see it through to the end, whatever happens. I have no idea where this will go, apart from a few bits I have written farther into the story. Any reviews will be welcome, and please tell me if this is worth reading or not. This story will mostly be told from the perspective of Kyanite and team RWBY, though I do have plans for other characters to tell a few chapters.**

 **Kyanite is a typically light blue crystal, though it can be white; Kyanite's color scheme. There is a reason why I have not described her in detail yet and that will be revealed in one of the next few chapters.**


	2. Chapter 1: Vale Surrounded

**Ruby's POV**

Ruby ran down the halls of Beacon, followed closely by her team. A few moments earlier, a general announcement by loudspeaker had summoned all students to the auditorium. Ruby had no idea what had driven everyone into such a panic.

When Team RWBY arrived, many of the instructors were there, standing as if a Grimm horde was about to descend upon the school. Most of the students were there as well as the guest students at Beacon for the Vytal festival. Ruby spotted her friend Velvet from Team CFVY standing close by. Ruby pushed through the crowd until she was standing with Velvet.

"Do you know what this is about Velvet?" Ruby whispered.

"No, I think it might be about… well, you wouldn't know about it yet." Velvet murmured back, "but Ozpin will tell us."

Ruby opened her mouth to reply, but closed it as Ozpin began his speech.

"Most of you will not know what this is about, though I know some of you have your own suspicions." Ozpin began, "A week ago, a routine patrol was going through the village of Lihon. The village had been destroyed, yet there were no bodies of any kind. Four days ago, the village of Curov was found under the same circumstances. That village was forty miles away, and forty miles closer to Vale. The most recent village is Orren, less than a hundred miles from Vale. No one is as of yet certain of whatever is destroying the villages, so the Vale council has decided to send out the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon to investigate. You have all been assigned to a group with another team, information is being sent to your scrolls now." Ozpin strode off the stage to consult with Goodwitch, while the students checked their scrolls.

Ruby looked down at her scroll and saw she was grouped with Team JNPR, sent to check the city for any holes in security. She bid Velvet farewell, then found her team and JNPR were waiting for her at the exit of the hall.

"Sorry, I was talking to Velvet. We're checking Vale for gaps in the security, right?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, though I don't think it's worth our time. Why would we be in the city if they're so far away?" Blake said.

"Well, we should start now if we want to get it done." Ren said, matter-of-factly. "We should stick with our partners, just to be safe."

Weiss nodded, though her face held more worry than the rest of the friends. Ruby noted this, and decided to question her partner about it when they were alone. The two teams separated, and Ruby pulled Weiss away from the group and led her down a side street. Her cheerful disposition vanished once the pair was alone.

"Why are you so worried Weiss? Is it what Blake said?" Ruby asked her partner seriously.

"No, it's what Ozpin said. He said they covered forty miles in two days and that was when this thing attacked a village. No other villages have been attacked, and in four days, that's at least eighty miles. Then he said that it was less than a hundred miles. There's no exact figure there, but with all the math, they should be here by now." Weiss murmured.

Ruby stopped in her tracks, considering the facts Weiss had laid down.

"We've got to get the others, they should hear this," Ruby commanded, pulling out her scroll to call Yang.

Before she could connect the call, a sharp warning horn blared over the city loudspeakers. Ruby froze in horror, the horn was a sign for all civilians to get indoors. She looked at Weiss, seeing her own fear mirrored there.

 _The others. They're in danger. We have to see what's happening outside._ Ruby thought as she called Yang.

"Ruby! Where are you?" Yang said as the call connected.

"There's no time! Get the rest of the group and get back to Beacon." Ruby said, then pulled Weiss along as she used her semblance to reach Beacon.

* * *

 **Kyanite's POV**

Kyanite grinned as she heard the warning siren. She stood on a tall hill outside of Vale, almost level with Beacon. She felt the terror and fear seeping from the walls of the city. The forest behind her was filled with restless creatures and Grimm, eager to pour into the city, and take it for themselves. A Beowolf prowled to her side, a silent question in its mind.

"No, we will not attack, not yet. We await the Master, then we will attack."

 _Who gave you the authority?_ The Beowolf snarled impatiently.

"The Master said so himself." Kyanite said.

 _Why would he give you the authority, and not a Grimm?_ He walked closer, threats filling his mind.

"I have the intelligence of the small ones, and know the strategies they use." Kyanite whirled to face the Grimm, drawing her sword. "If you think you can replace me, try it."

 _Very well. I will see what the Master says once he gets here._ The Beowolf turned and stalked into the shrubs.

Kyanite sheathed her sword, then turned to see the city in panic once more. Many humans had already fled inside, thinking they were safe. Kyanite laughed to see the last few humans run inside.

 _Soon they will all follow me and the Grimm._

* * *

 **Blake's POV**

Blake ran with Yang as the pair raced to Beacon. Yang had already contacted Team JNPR and relayed Ruby's message. At the doors of Beacon, Weiss waved them over.

"Ruby's at the cliff overlooking Vale." She said.

 _I wonder what we'll see that has everyone on edge._ Blake thought to herself as they ran to the cliff.

Ruby stared at the hill closest to Vale, where a small blue shape stood calmly. A large Beowolf stood next to the person, though neither of them looked like they would attack each other.

As Blake watched them, Team JNPR ran up to the cliff with Weiss. Blake ignored them as they all started talking. The Grimm paced closer to the person, then they pulled out a weapon of some sort. The Beowolf stared at the person, then disappeared into the forest behind them.

 _The Beowolf seemed to be under that person's control! What would that mean for us,_ Blake thought, _fighting Grimm, or if they decided to attack Vale?_

Blake realized the rest of them were looking at her, expecting something.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Blake said.

"Ruby asked what you had seen." Yang said. "Especially since you have the best vision."

Quickly, Blake reported what she had seen.

"A person with control over the Grimm!" Weiss exclaimed. "We could have so much power if they helped us."

"I don't think that's what's going on here." Blake shook her head. "Yes, they control the Grimm, but they don't seem in a very helping mood. They seemed more interested in taking control of the city."

"Yes, I have to agree. From what Blake described, they aren't friendly towards Vale." Pyrrha said. "We should report this to Ozpin."

* * *

The two teams raced up to Ozpin's tower and burst into the room. Blake had always liked seeing the clockwork above move, casting strange shadows that she always observed whenever she got the chance. Now the gears were still, and the shadows had contorted into the shapes of Grimm. Blake tore her eyes away from a snarling pair of jaws that seemed to be ready to engulf her.

"Ozpin!" Ruby said as they skidded into the room. "We saw this pers-"

"Yes, I saw them too. The person that can control the Grimm." Ozpin interrupted Ruby, though he did not seem to mean it unkindly. "We are calling back all teams to defend the city, though the Grimm do not look like they will attack just yet. Ironwood's fleet will help, and the perimeter is being secured now by the Atlesian soldiers and androids." Ozpin typed something on his computer, then looked up at them like he had forgotten they were there. "Go, help the other teams start fortifying the city."

"Of course sir." Ruby saluted in a military fashion, then led her team down to the entrance of the school.

Blake stopped to stare at the forest and as she watched, more Grimm than she had ever seen before spilled down the hill, only to stop when they reached the bottom. The Grimm carpeted the grass, appearing like a sea of black bodies.

 _How are we going to fight that many Grimm?_ Blake thought despairingly, as the horde writhed and seethed, ready to overwhelm the city at a moment's notice.

 **A/N: Here's the first actual chapter of story, the next chapter will be up soon. Thank you all for reading this and following this.**


	3. Chapter 2: Battle At The Docks

**Kyanite's POV**

After scouting the perimeter of the city, Kyanite's Grimm had reported several Huntsmen were sealing the gaps in the city's defenses. There were several weaknesses yet to be discovered by the Huntsmen, yet the Huntsmen would find them soon. She accepted the reports, then heard the summons from the Master. Kyanite walked deep into the forest, then stopped in the clearing designated as the meeting place.

 _Kyanite. You have not yet brought me a true hunter. Did I not expressly order you to procure one before the attack on Vale?_ The Master sat in a pool of shadows that obscured his form, yet Kyanite knew that he was there, the one that had given her Grimm blood.

"I know Master, but the Huntsmen have not responded to the destroyed villages, though last week, they sent out the Huntsmen students. We have captured one of their groups, but we have awaited your arrival to turn them to our side." Kyanite reported, keeping her demeanor submissive and complacent.

 _They are little more than you. Pitiful weaklings, with barely enough strength to kill a Grimm._ His scorn echoed through Kyanite's mind like thunder. _Still, they have knowledge, and will be useful. I think you shall receive a reward. You have proved your loyalty to our cause, Kyanite. I appoint you General of the Grimm. Now go. I will join you later, for the first assault on the humans. Whenever you think it is wisest to attack, I will be there._

"Thank you very much Master, I endeavour to serve you." Kyanite bowed and left the clearing. A Beowolf waited for her atop the hill.

 _We have heard the Master is going to be at the first battle, General Kyanite. When will that be?_ Excitement poured off the Grimm and the humans who followed them unwillingly. Kyanite looked over the Grimm, admiring their strength and power. Battle-hungry eyes gleamed crimson. The week before had been tense and uneasy. Kyanite had barely kept them from storming the city, but now that they were ready to attack, the Grimm had forgotten all quarrels with her. She thought for a moment, considering the possibilities.

She decided, then called out, "I need one of each Grimm, we have a siege to plan."

* * *

 **Ruby's POV**

Ruby hauled another metal box of food to the stockpiles in the storehouse. They had been bringing anything useful to well-fortified warehouses. Giant Nevermores patrolled the skies, forcing Ironwood's fleet to land; large groups of Ursa surrounded the city and a pack of Beowolves had taken over the port; bringing travel to a halt, preventing supplies from coming in and escape from the city. Four teams had disappeared in the forest, leaving Beacon shorthanded, as everyone was temporarily placed on emergency military duty.

Ruby stretched her arms, yawning. She was due for the next attempt to clear the docks. Pulling Crescent Rose out, she used her semblance to reach the barrier between the controlled city and the port within a matter of minutes. The rest of her team were already there, eyes dull with exhaustion. There was a group of soldiers with a lieutenant standing at the head. She eyed Ruby before speaking.

"Well, you all know what we're here for," the lieutenant began, "take the docks back under our control, so we can get some ships out of here. The last three attempts have failed, though this time we'll win. Let's go!"

The soldiers leapt over the barricade, along with team RWBY. The port was crowded with Grimm, almost all Beowolves, though there were three Ursa standing in the small horde. Ruby slashed and hacked through the Grimm, leaving a trail of dissipating corpses in her wake. She was lost in the thick of fighting, but she heard the soldiers firing their guns. As the fighting continued, a steady stream of new Grimm filled the places of the old ones, as the Beowolves clambered onto the docks from the ocean.

The sun rose higher in the sky, until it reached its peak, and began to fall. As the sun set, Ruby found Yang fighting beside her at one point, punching at one Beowolf before firing a blast at another. Ruby hacked an arm on an Ursa, then lost Yang to the press of bodies. Another time, she encountered a soldier, firing desperately at the Beowolves. She slashed towards him, trying to reach him, but an Alpha Beowolf grabbed him. The Grimm bit down on his head, then twisted his body until the head snapped off. Ruby felt her stomach turn as the Beowolf threw the corpse into the sea.

Ruby swallowed her nausea and launched herself at the Beowolf. She swung her scythe at its torso, intending to cut through it, but it turned at the last moment and the blade deflected off of one of its spines. It grabbed the pole and wrenched Ruby's scythe from her hands. Ruby stumbled and fell. The Beowolf tossed her scythe away, then turned to crush Ruby. In a flash of black and purple, Blake stood there, hacking away at the Beowolf, distracting it. Ruby hauled herself to her feet, exhausted. Blake dispatched the creature with a quick blow to the back of its head.

"You okay Ruby?"Blake asked breathlessly.

"Yeah. My scythe is gone though. It threw it over there." Ruby pointed to where the beast had hurled her beloved Crescent Rose.

"We'll get it back. Follow me as close as you can." Blake said before plunging into the Grimm, dispatching any who dared cross her path. Ruby dodged Grimm as she trailed behind Blake.

They soon found her scythe, badly damaged. The blade had been broken in two and the rifle mechanism had been scratched by the Beowolf's claws as it had flung it away.

 _There's no way to kill them all, we have to retreat._ Ruby thought to herself, staring at the ruined weapon.

"Ruby!" Blake grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the way of an Ursa's claws. The Ursa snarled at them and bit at the two girls. Blake screamed in pain as it clamped onto her arm. The Ursa pulled Blake deep into the thick of Grimm. Her cries of pain drew Yang and Weiss, who tried to fight their way to Blake, but couldn't reach her.

"Ruby, we're retreating, now!" Yang shouted, grabbing a frozen Ruby by the arm.

Weiss ran ahead of them, clearing the Grimm for the sisters. As Weiss leapt over the top of the barrier, she turned and hauled Ruby over the top of it. Yang heaved herself over the barricade, then guarded it as the last of the soldiers helped each other over the makeshift stone wall.

Weiss slumped against the wall, while Yang sat with Ruby as she attempted to make Crescent Rose collapse. Tears ran down Ruby's face, dripping onto the weapon, collecting in pools until she wiped them off the weapon.

The lieutenant limped forward, bleeding from a mauled leg. "This mission was a failure from the start!" She spat with fury, glaring at the Huntresses. "You failed, the lot of you! Your friend died, hmm? Good riddance I say!"

Yang shot to her feet, bristling with fury. Ruby began to sob openly and Weiss moved to her side, glaring at the soldier.

"She's not dead!" Yang shouted, then whispered, "She can't be."

The lieutenant scoffed. "You wish. Let's get out of here men!" The soldiers filed past the three Huntresses, some giving pitying looks, others snarling with as much hatred as their superior.

Yang pulled Ruby to her feet gently, then shared a look with Weiss, and the trio staggered down the street, heading for Beacon.

* * *

 **Yang's POV**

The night had passed by the time they reached Beacon, but Yang agreed to report to Ozpin. She placed Ruby in Weiss's care and headed for Ozpin's tower. _What are we going to do without Blake? And the mission failed too. We're going to die in this city._ Yang thought, silently mourning her partner. The elevator doors opened, with Ozpin's desk covered in displays of the city and the surrounding countryside. The professor himself was gazing out the windows.

Yang cleared her throat uncomfortably. Ozpin startled, and turned around quickly before relaxing at the sight of Yang.

"Mission report; it failed completely and totally." Yang grimaced. "We lost Blake, though we don't know if she's alive or not. Ruby's distraught and her weapon is trashed."

"You lost Blake?" Ozpin said incredulously. "And Ruby… I knew we should never have tried again! The council insisted, but there's been huge amounts of activity within the Grimm horde, and they seem to be just waiting for something before they attack." The pre-dawn darkness was lit by the red eyes of thousands of Grimm, though Yang could have sworn there were human shapes writhing in the lessening darkness alongside the Grimm.

"What are we going to do now?" Yang asked uncertainly. The once orderly headmaster seemed to be on edge, and ready to snap at any moment.

"We can try again. What else can we do?" Ozpin said. Yang glanced out the window again. _That's_ gotta _be a person._

"Umm, sir? Are there people out there?" Yang pointed out the window. Ozpin turned and cursed under his breath as he saw what Yang meant.

Standing in a long line on the hill where they had seen the person was a row of more people. Standing in front was the first person that they had seen, though up in Ozpin's tower, Yang finally saw her features clearly. She wore a white shirt and blue vest, both stained with blood. Her hair and eyes were cobalt blue, and her features were sharply defined but young. None of that mattered to Yang though. There was a large bite mark from a Beowolf on the left side of her neck, and from each puncture wound, a web of black veins ran up the side of her neck, climbing all over half of her face. The veins had spread into her left eye, which had turned pure black with a red, cat-eye pupil. The hair on her left had also turned completely black, while the skin around the veins had turned from tan to the purest white.

The people behind her shared similar traits, though they wore typical village attire. Yang gasped as she realized why there had been no bodies in the attacked villages. The people stared at Vale with the same hunger as the Grimm, yet only the girl in front seemed to be self-aware. The others had blank expressions, and dull eyes.

"They've been Corrupted." Ozpin choked out. Yang looked at him, and saw fear in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"They do not follow out of loyalty. Their minds have been stolen and replaced with only loyalty to the Grimm."

"Why is that girl the only one who has her mind then? And how do you know this?" Ozpin looked at Yang, then reached a silent decision.

"She is one of the Generals. The first, I do believe. Others will soon join her. As for how I know this, I was told this tale by the previous headmaster of Beacon." Ozpin said, still staring out the window at the horde of Corrupted Ones and Grimm.

Yang looked out, and saw the line part, to allow a huge Beowolf to walk up beside the girl, which she bowed to, then seemed to hold a conversation with it. It too, was easy to see in the early morning light. It made Yang gasp in awe and fear.

The paws of the great Beowolf were armed by long, sharp talons, with veins of glimmering red running through them, making it appear as though lightning was striking through its claws wherever it stepped. The mask on its face was cracked and in one of the largest cracks, black blood ran down the side of the mask, trickling down into the creature's mouth, mixing with its saliva. On his chest and back were armored plates interlocking in a complex pattern with no gaps that would be beneficial to kill it. The limbs of the Grimm were covered in a multitude of spikes and each was streaked with black and red in a spidery web of color. Its eyes were pure black with one red and one white pupil, giving it a deranged look, though intelligence gleamed within its strange eyes.

"Singarti." Ozpin whispered both reverently and fearfully. Yang looked at him for an explanation.

"Singarti is the name of that Beowolf," Ozpin began, "and he is the first Beowolf, and the father of all Beowolves. He sits on the Grimm Council, with the other First Grimm. Ruby's mother was sent to kill him, which accounts for his injuries, but you can see who won the fight. That he is here is not a good sign. He is known as the Lord of Corruption, and is the fastest of the First Grimm to awaken when the human world threatens him. We should expect the others to join us at some point. For now, we must prepare for an-" Ozpin was cut short as Singarti howled, long and loud.

This was apparently the signal, as the line of Grimm surged forward, parting around Singarti. Ozpin slammed his hand down on a button, and the warning siren began to ring.

"Go! Help in any way you are needed, now!" Ozpin shouted at Yang.

She ran to the elevator, and raced down to the ground floor. The halls were in chaos as she pushed past the students. With her gauntlets ready, Yang ran down to Vale, fighting rogue Grimm that had escaped through the defenses.

 _Please let Ruby be safe in Beacon._ Yang begged silently as she raced to the front line. _Please, let her stay safe._

 **A/N: My longest chapter yet! Any guesses on what happened to Blake yet? I have decided upon a way to go with this story, hopefully it will be well received. On a more technical note, I've decided to rename it and change the description to match this idea I have now. Many thanks to all who have read and followed this. The next chapter will be up in a few days, a lot more heavily edited with more content in each chapter from now on.**

 **Singarti is an ancient name that means Wolf Lord in Inuktitut.**


	4. Chapter 3: Smoke and Mirrors

**Warning: Chapter Contains Torture and Self-Harm**

 **Blake's POV**

Blake woke in a wooden cage with several other people, all of whom she could recognize from Beacon. The cage was one of three, sitting in a clearing in the forest, guarded by five Beowolves. The others in her cage looked at her with curiosity, then looked at the Grimm.

Blake looked down at her injured arm, which had stopped bleeding. In the cage next to hers, the guest students Emerald, Cinder and Mercury sat alone conferring with one another. In the farthest cage, four students lay, piled like corpses.

Blake turned to the others in her cage. "What happened with them?" She whispered.

"A person went in and did something to them. _They_ saw what happened, but they aren't talking. At least not to us." One of the students, a rat faunus with a tail, whispered back, indicating the other cage.

"Who was this person? Do you know them?" Blake questioned them as she tried to listen in to the conversation in the other cage.

"Yeah, it was one of the members of Team CFVY. The rabbit one." The other one answered this time, another faunus, with wolf ears. "She was in here with us before you came. This is the faunus cage I suppose."

Blake's hand flew up to her cat ears, finding only fur. The ribbon that normally hid them was nowhere to be found. She strained to catch any of the words the other trio were saying, but failed. The other faunus looked at her, knowing something she didn't.

"What is it you aren't telling me?" Blake questioned.

"Well, the Blue General was the one who hauled you in here, giving an extra two Beowolves to the guard." Wolf-Ears said. "There were only three before you showed up. I suspect that they're talking about that as much as whatever happened over there."

"The Blue General?" Blake suspected it was the person that she had seen on the hill when the siren had went off.

"She talks to the Grimm, like they're saying something back, but they don't. She calls herself a General and wears blue. But her face, it's absolutely terrifying." Rat-Tail explained.

"Her face? What do you mean?" Blake asked.

The two faunus were silent, and they just shook their heads. Blake sighed. She sensed she wouldn't learn anything else from them. The Beowolves standing next to her cage were obviously older than the other ones that were simply watching the cages. Blake leaned against the bars of the cage, closing her eyes.

When she next awoke, the other cage was empty, and the Beowolves were standing expectantly. One of the ones by her cage opened the door and extended its humanoid paw into the cage. The Beowolf reached for Blake, grabbing her by her uninjured arm. It pulled her out roughly, and closed the door with the other faunus still inside it. Cinder was standing in the other cage, watching impassively as Blake was taken into the forest.

The two Beowolves assigned to her were keeping her very close. The path they followed ended in another clearing, one ringed with Alpha Beowolves. The Blue General stood with her back to Blake, with another Beowolf standing in front of her, taller than two men would normally stand, wreathed in shadows. She nodded to something, then nodded again.

"So, you are the one that fought with Silver-Eyes?" She said finally, turning halfway towards Blake, only the right side of her face showing. The Grimm growled at the mention of silver eyes.

Blake understood why they called her the Blue General. Everything about her was blue, from her hair to her eyes. Nothing on her face stood out, until she turned to face Blake completely. The left side of her face was colored like a Grimm's face; black and white, giving her a distinctive look.

"Several Grimm saw you with Silver-Eyes, getting the scythe back for her." The Blue General continued, "You were incredibly handy with this weapon of yours." Gambol Shroud lay at her feet, unharmed. "Is it true that you follow her into battle?" Blake remained silent, not sure where the conversation was going.

"Answer me. Do you, or do you not fight with the Silver-Eyed one?" She snarled. Blake realized they wanted information.

"You won't find out from me." Blake hissed. A glimmer of excitement flashed through the Blue General's expression.

"I think I will." She grinned, bloodlust dancing through her eyes. "You don't know how much I wanted you to say that."

The Beowolf behind Blake forced her to her knees, digging its claws into her neck. The Blue General stepped back, holding her blue sword. The tip of the blade touched Blake's cheekbone; not yet breaking the skin, but a sharp enough pain to make her eyes water.

"You sure you don't want to tell me about Silver-Eyes?" The General's voice was light hearted, yet full of sadistic malice. Blake merely closed her eyes in response. "Have it your way then." The Blue General nodded to the Blake's Beowolf guard, who then poked one sharp claw into her neck, depleting her Aura. The Blue General did not move while she waited, and once her Aura was gone the Beowolf held its claw to her neck, keeping her Aura drained.

The General dug the sword point into Blake's flesh, marking her cheekbone with a line of blood. The Blue General pulled the sword down the side of Blake's jaw, then pulled back. She eyed Blake with the expression of one who is deciding where to cut a piece of steak. She lifted her sword to the edge of one of Blake's cat ears, then cut through the edge an inch into the base of the ear. Blake twisted her head away from the blade, writhing in pain. One of the Beowolves growled and forced her to look at the General.

"You _can_ stop me you know. All I want is for you to tell me what Silver-Eyes can do." The General smiled at Blake. Blake felt the blood dripping from her wounds and shook her head.

Without any warning, her tormentor slashed her arm, skimming across her bone. Blake gasped in pain as the sword stabbed into her side.

"Fine! She has a scythe, and her semblance makes her speed up." Guilt filled Blake as she told the General about Ruby.

"That's it?" She said in disbelief. "Nothing else?"

"She fights well, if that's what you're asking," Blake spat.

"Hm. She sounds weak," the Blue General said.

Blake struggled to her feet. "She's not weak!"

"It doesn't matter anymore. You have been chosen for a grand purpose, and soon, you will be filled only with the desire to serve." The Blue General looked at Blake's face, which was filled with confusion and pain, and laughed. "All will become clear to you soon. For now you will remain in your cage."

The Beowolves dragged Blake into the empty cage, across from the other faunus. They stared at her openly now, with curiosity and fear. Blake thought back to her meeting with the Blue General, and thought of only one thing, the burning eyes of the Beowolf behind the General, staring into the depths of her soul.

* * *

 **Singarti's POV**

Singarti watched the cat one be dragged away, knowing Tyana would be arriving to inspect his handiwork. He cared not for the Griffon Lord, though the approval of his sister would have great influence in the rest of the Lords. They had not liked his plan, but with Tyana arriving, he would show them that this attack would work, and they would reign over the world once more.

Kyanite picked up the cat one's weapon and placed it in his paw. She had served him well, even if she wasn't one of the Hunters.

 _Kyanite, ensure the cat one be contained properly. I also wish to use her in the next battle,_ Singarti directed his General, _to draw Silver-Eyes out. I must see if what the cat one said is true._

"Of course, master. I exist to serve you." Kyanite bowed. "When will the next attack be then?"

 _Midnight, tonight. If what my Grimm say is true, we will have need of Tyana. We must kill Silver-Eyes before she learns her own power._

* * *

 **Yang's POV**

Yang pulled Ember Celica on her wrists, checking the ammunition. She paced inside the dorm, waiting for Weiss to return from hunting Grimm. Ruby sat on the edge of her bunk bed, staring at Blake's empty bunk. Yang looked at her sister's blank face; rage, pity and sadness warring within her heart.

She and Weiss had agreed that they shouldn't leave Ruby alone, and had been especially careful since they had left her in the dorm, only to return to find Ruby covered in blood, digging the fragmented blade of Crescent Rose into her skin.

The door burst open, throwing Yang out of the memory. Weiss collapsed onto her bed, vaguely waving for Yang to go. She looked up at Ruby once more, then bolted out the door. As she ran through the halls of Beacon, she kept her thoughts focused on her shift of guard duty. As she raced out the doors, she bumped into Ren and Nora carrying Jaune, who was missing part of his leg. Yang's stomach turned over, though she continued on her way.

The moon shone down on Vale, illuminating the buildings. A portion of the southern edge of the city was burning, streets lit by the flash of gunfire. Yang took in the dark windows of the street closest to the port, remembering the shrieks of civilians as Grimm poured into the houses after they had defeated the Atlesian soldiers that had guarded the citizens.

Yang ran along the roads, killing any rogue Grimm. There were not as many roaming the streets as there usually were. She hardly took notice as she found the edge of the controlled sector. A row of soldiers stood, firing at the crowd of Grimm. Yang guessed there was little more than twenty Grimm, which made her sigh in relief. Most streets usually had around fifty. Yang found the senior officer.

"Is this enough for you guys to handle? I want to check on the next checkpoint." Yang asked the soldier, who nodded once, then fired at another Grimm. Yang jogged to the next street, finding it amazingly clear of Grimm. The soldiers stationed there were relaxing and telling jokes, though Yang saw they kept their weapons ready. Yang grinned at a soldier's joke, then continued on. She felt herself relaxing, and she went through each road, finding little to no Grimm.

 _Maybe this is over,_ Yang thought hopefully. _Maybe most of the Grimm are finally dead._

Yang found each checkpoint clear, then headed towards Beacon. The streets were clear of Grimm, speeding her journey back to Beacon. The doors were open, and the Huntsmen guarding them had left their posts.

Yang jogged through the halls, heart lightened. Many of the students were relaxing in the halls, celebrating the end of the fighting. Out of one of the windows, Yang glimpsed a Giant Nevermore falling through the sky, disintegrating as it died. Outside the girls' dorm, Pyrrha leaned against the wall, tears dripping down her face. Yang immediately thought of Ruby.

"Pyrrha! What's wrong?" Yang said.

"It's Jaune. You saw him as they brought him in, right? He… he might die. Too much blood loss. They don't have time to bring in more blood, so they need to get a live donor. Ruby's a match for his blood type, and she's the best for the transfer, since she hasn't received any recent injuries. But…"

"Well, Ruby would do anything for Jaune! Let's ask her." Yang ignored the hesitant look Pyrrha gave her, and pushed the door open.

Weiss lay on her bed reading a textbook. Ruby was dangling her legs off the edge of her bunk bed, balancing a book on her feet. She looked as happy as she had been before the battle. Yang took this as a good sign.

"Hey Ruby. Um, there is something Jaune needs help with. Can you do it?" Yang asked quietly.

"Of course! I'd do anything for Jaune." Ruby said with a smile. Yang looked at Pyrrha, who still looked uncertain. Ruby bounced to the ground and out of the dorm. Pyrrha followed her out the door. Yang was stopped by Weiss.

"Yang. I saw Jaune. He might not make it. I'm not sure if Ruby could deal with another loss. We have to watch her carefully." Weiss stood up, then ran with Yang towards the infirmary. When they arrived, Ruby was already hooked up to Jaune, blood draining from her veins.

Weiss stood by Pyrrha, who was sobbing by Jaune. Nora and Ren were by the door, whispering to one another. Yang stood by Ruby, who was staring at the heart monitor, face grim. The display showed a weak heartbeat. Doctors swarmed around Jaune's injured leg, injecting dust into his veins. His heart skipped over a beat, causing a flurry of activity.

Yang saw Jaune's heart skip three beats in a row, then after a minute, nine beats. Ruby was unhooked from the needles and escorted out after that. Yang wanted to go with her, but fear for Jaune kept her there. After a long moment, his heart stopped. Yang tensed as the doctors tried to restart it, watching Jaune's chest twitch as lightning dust crystals were used. The monitor continued to display a cold and unforgiving line. Pyrrha wailed with grief as the doctors called time of death. Ren and Nora pulled Pyrrha from the room, and Yang felt cold. Jaune was dead.

* * *

 **Ruby's POV**

Ruby waited on her bed, lost in her own thoughts. She fiddled with the blade of Crescent Rose, idly turning it in her fingers. The blood transfer had made her feel light headed, and disconnected from herself.

 _Jaune might be dying, and I won't know._ Ruby thought to herself. _The last time I was alone, with only a blade, I wanted to visit Blake again. Then Yang and Weiss walked in and took everything sharp. At least, that's what they think._ Ruby looked up as the door opened, shoving the blade behind her back. Weiss and Yang walked in mournfully.

"How are you Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Fine. Jaune?" Ruby queried carefully.

Yang looked at Weiss guiltily. "He's not well."

"He's dead isn't he? You guys are lying to me!" Ruby yelled, furious.

"No, Ruby-" Weiss began.

"No! You can't lie to me! I'm your leader, and you treat me like a child."

"Ruby, since Blake… disappeared, you haven't been well." Weiss said quietly.

"You think I don't know that?" Ruby said. "You act like I can't deal with death, then throw Blake's death in my face?"

"She didn't mean it like that." Yang protested. "We only want to protect you."

"Yeah, right. I'm getting out of here." Ruby announced, angrily pushing her way past her friends. She heard their voices fade away as she used her semblance to race to the cliff overlooking Vale.

Ruby had heard that the Grimm had been driven back, and she saw many people celebrating in the streets. Ruby looked at the hill where the Grimm leader had been seen, staring across the gap between her and the hill.

 _It's all my fault. Blake would still be alive if I had been a better fighter,_ Ruby berated herself, _and everything would be fine. Yang and Weiss wouldn't treat me like glass, and they would never have lied to me if Blake were there. Everything's because of me._ At that thought, Ruby crumpled to the ground, sobbing into her hands.

The moon was at its highest point, illuminating the weeping girl. Her tears slowed after a moment as she rubbed her eyes. The still air blew with a sudden gust of ferocity with the howl of a Beowolf.

Ruby's head snapped up, fear filling her heart. On the slope closest to Vale, there stood the huge Beowolf Yang had called Singarti and three people; one was the horrible girl Yang had described, and another was a soldier, kneeling in front of the others. The person next to Singarti was being held in place by the blue girl, who held a weapon out towards her. A large spotlight latched onto the group, lighting the area in blinding white. Ruby's eyes focused in the new light, looking at the last person. _It's Blake._ Ruby thought.

The familiar cat ears were twitching as she shook her head, while her weapon was place in her hands. Blake tossed the weapon away, but Singarti snatched it out of the air, then shoved it roughly into her grasp. The girl whispered something into Blake's ear, then backed away. Blake looked down at the blade of her weapon, then raised it above the soldier's head. Ruby turned her face away as her friend swung the sword down. When she looked back, Blake had dropped Gambol Shroud beside the soldier's headless body.

 _She killed him, but she had to. And, she's alive!_ Ruby thought as the girl shoved Blake into the forest, then picked up the fallen sword and followed her. Singarti picked up the corpse, then swallowed it whole. As he gulped the last foot down, a horde of Grimm poured from the forest, a solid wave of black and white rushing to Vale. The wave of Grimm seemed to be endless, with Corrupted riding on the backs of the largest, armed with swords and guns.

Ruby bolted to her feet, thinking, _I have to find my friends! We can rescue Blake and defeat the Grimm!_ Ruby turned and saw the Grimm flooding the streets of Vale, her courage faltering without her weapon. _I have to do this!_ She grabbed the blade of Crescent Rose, hidden in her pocket, determined once more. She turned to run into Vale, not thinking of her own safety.

* * *

 **Weiss's POV**

The city was quiet as Weiss passed the darkened streets. The revelries from earlier were contained to the inner roads, making her task easier. Yang had begun to search the northern part of the city, while Weiss searched for Ruby on the southern half. They had found nothing so far. She ran past another empty alleyway, sighing with disappointment.

Weiss then turned a corner onto one of the streets near Beacon. A soldier ran past her, panicking. As she looked to where he had run from, Weiss saw a sea of Grimm running at her. She pulled an emergency flare from her belt, then lit it and tossed it into the air. She hardly noticed as it landed behind her, black flame burning. The Grimm had reached her.

Weiss felt like she had slammed into a wall as the first Beowolf rammed her. The rest of the Grimm poured past her, chasing after the soldier. She flew back, then slashed at the Grimm's head. It fell easily, its body dissolving in seconds. An Ursa knocked her to the ground as it ran blindly with the rest of the horde. A large foot landed on her rib cage, snapping one of them. Another paw crushed her hand.

 _I'm going to die,_ she thought. _I'm going to be trampled to death by Grimm._

"Weiss!" Two voices screamed her name, accompanied by the sounds of fighting. After a moment, the Grimm running over her were gone. Ruby stood above her, pulling Weiss to her feet. As soon as she was moving, Ruby began pulling her towards Beacon. Yang followed close behind them, carrying Myrtenaster with her. The river of Grimm ran past them, not noticing the three girls.

"Ruby, why are you here?" Weiss asked as they ran to Beacon.

"I can't explain right now, we have to get to Beacon. It's the only safe place anymore."

Weiss ran on, confused. They reached Beacon, sprinting inside. People milled about soundlessly, choking the hallways with an unnerving quiet. Ruby pushed through the crowd, leading the way back to the dorm without a word. Weiss wanted to believe they would survive, but the endless silence only served to reinforce her sense of defeat.

 **A/N: My apologies for the wait. Thank you all for reading this. It's always nice to see that people are looking at this; it gives me the confidence to continue writing more, even if my writing is horrendous. The next chapter won't take as long as this one did (I hope).**


	5. Chapter 4: Twisting Shadows

****A/N: This is the first part of the chapter, and I will continue adding onto this chapter as I update; as mentioned in the news below.****

 **(NEWS: I plan to start one chapter with a small section, then add on other sections to the same chapter. I should be able to update much more often. It's an odd plan, but if nobody protests, I'll keep it that way.)**

 **Ruby's POV**

Ruby leapt up on top of her bunk, while Yang and Weiss sat on Blake's bunk. Weiss winced as she shifted her weight. Her Aura was rapidly healing her hand, crushed beneath the weight of an Ursa. Her other injuries would be healing before long.

"I came after you guys as soon as I could," Ruby began. "I knew you were in Vale, so I found you there. But that doesn't matter, because we need to go into the forest."

"The forest? Why would we need to go there?" Yang asked.

"Because, I saw Singarti, with Blake."

"With _Blake_? She's alive?" Weiss gasped with disbelief.

"Yeah. We can get her out of there. Before the Grimm attacked, I saw her on the hill, with the blue girl. She was forced to kill a soldier while everyone watched," Ruby explained. "But she wasn't well guarded, as far as I could tell."

"Let's go get her then!" Yang said enthusiastically.

"Well, I'm not saying we shouldn't, but it seems too easy. And why would she be forced to kill someone, especially in front of so many people?" Weiss frowned as she looked up at Ruby.

Her elation diminished as she considered Weiss's points. Ruby remembered Blake standing beside Singarti, important enough to be guarded by the Grimm Lord. _We still have to go after her._

"That doesn't matter. We are going to go find her," Ruby said.

"Okay, when?" Yang asked eagerly.

"I think we should go now," Ruby said confidently.

"What? We can't go now, the Grimm are invading! We can't just abandon the fight," Weiss protested.

"But we'll be bringing back another fighter to help. Besides, we won't be gone for long. Just enough to get Blake back. They can handle themselves for a while," Ruby argued.

Weiss hesitated for a moment, but nodded her support. "Fine. We have to be back soon though."

Ruby grinned ecstatically, though Weiss continued looking lost in thought. Ruby grabbed the broken blade of her scythe, while Weiss and Yang prepared themselves for their mission. "Let's go," Ruby said once they were ready.

* * *

Ruby lead the way into the city, wary and ready for any Grimm. Her teammates followed closely behind. They crept through alleyways and deserted streets. Their only companions were the vermin plaguing the city. On more than one occasion, they were startled by the rodents. No Grimm found them for the first part of the journey.

As soon as they reached the halfway point, an Alpha Beowolf charged towards them. Ruby felt a flicker of fear, recalling the last Alpha Grimm she had faced. _This time, it's different. This one doesn't look too bad,_ she thought, attempting to bolster her own confidence.

Ruby slashed at the Beowolf with her blade, unused to the shorter reach. It easily avoided her unskilled attack, while dodging a shotgun blast from Yang. Weiss stabbed it in the eye as she leapt on its back, killing it.

"I'm no good with this," Ruby sighed as they walked on, gesturing to the short blade. "I can't fight with it at all. Maybe one of you should lead."

"You're doing fine leading us, but I think you should let us do the fighting. To be safe," Weiss said. Ruby nodded, then led them to the edge of the city. No other Grimm attacked them.

The sky was starting to lighten as the minutes ticked by, leaving Weiss glancing at the horizon every few minutes. A stretch of open area lay between Ruby and the woods. Ruby readied herself, then bolted towards the forest, followed by her friends. The run was nerve wracking, as a cluster of Griffons hovered overhead. Once they reached the cover of the trees, Ruby sighed with relief.

"Okay, where did you see Blake, Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Over this way." Ruby pushed through the bushes, until she found the spot where Blake had been. A red stain pooled in the grass where Blake had killed the soldier. A small trail led deeper into the forest. Ruby followed it until she reached an empty clearing. Yang pointed over to the left, where another trail wound through the forest. Ruby nodded and snuck over to the trail. _No sounds of Grimm,_ she thought before waving her teammates onward. As they followed the track, a small Beowolf appeared, forcing them into cover. It was dragging two faunus, one wolf, and one rat. They were dragged into the clearing, then on another path. Ruby waited before continuing along the trail. There was a smaller clearing, with three cages. One was empty, while three people sat in another one. And in the last one, Blake slouched against the wooden bars. Three Beowolves ringed the clearing, pacing around.

Ruby poked her friends to get their attention. When they were looking at her, she pointed to Blake's cage, then to herself. She indicated the other cage before pointing to Weiss and Yang. They nodded, then began circling towards the cage. Ruby snuck to Blake's cage without any Grimm noticing her.

"Blake!" Ruby whispered as she reached the back of the cage. A bush hid her movements as she began to saw through the wooden bars of the cage.

At her whisper, Blake stirred, then saw Ruby hard at work, sawing through one bar. "Ruby, what are you doing here?" Blake hissed angrily. "You shouldn't be here."

"How could I ignore the fact that you might be alive? Do you know where your weapon is?"

"Yes," Blake paused as Ruby tossed the first bar behind her. "But I-"

Blake was interrupted as Singarti pushed his way into the clearing. Ruby saw Yang and Weiss were nearly to the cage. Singarti walked towards it, followed by his General. The Beowolf Lord growled and the General stepped forward nervously. Cinder stepped up to the bars of the other cage.

"I will convey my Master's words. He has heard you wish to make a deal with him." The General said.

Ruby stifled a shocked gasp. _They want to_ make a deal _with him? How crazy are they?_

"We want to ally ourselves with you. All of our resources are yours, as long as you keep our forces… _our_ forces, not yours."

 _What are they talking about?_ Ruby's head was going in circles.

"And whom do you represent? What do you have to offer us, and what would you get out of it?" The General asked coldly.

"We represent the White Fang. We can give resources and troops. We only want to see Vale fall." Cinder responded calmly.

"We might be interested in forming a partnership. The details of which can be discussed elsewhere." This was a signal to the Beowolf guards, one of which opened the door. Cinder exited, followed by Mercury and Emerald.

"If you would follow us." The group turned and headed down the path, leaving only two guards.

Ruby shook herself, then continued working on the bars. After a moment, Yang and Weiss joined her. Weiss began cutting another bar as Yang watched their backs. In minutes, they had torn all of the bars off the back of the cage. Crouching in the bushes, they pulled Blake out of the cage as quietly as possible.

"Where's Gambol Shroud?" Ruby asked her quietly.

"By the cage door." Blake pointed.

 _This is almost too easy._ Ruby thought as she used her semblance to retrieve Blake's weapon. She pushed the thought from her mind as she handed the weapon to Blake. Dried blood covered her friend's face, and she was missing her bow. The reunited team snuck to the edge of the forest, where they sprinted across the exposed field with no trouble. As she entered the sunlight, Ruby heard the furious howl of a Beowolf, and couldn't keep a satisfied grin from spreading over her face.

* * *

 **Blake's POV**

 _The world is spinning. Isn't it? And the colors, are all… wrong. Black is White and Red is Gold. Or is it the other way around?_ Blake's head was mush, and it had started the General had done… something. _Is she an enemy, or is she a friend?_ Blake knew Ruby, Weiss and Yang were not the General's friends. _So who_ is _a friend?_

Blake followed her… friends? Enemies? She followed her team to Beacon, killing the many Grimm they came across.

Once inside Beacon, her teammates had some discussion she couldn't follow. The words meant something, she was sure, but it was only noise that reached her ears. They looked at her, waiting for an answer, but she couldn't understand what they wanted.

The red one looked at her with silver eyes; eyes filled with concern. Silver-Eyes were bad, dangerous. _Why am I here?_ Blake tried to turn to run, but a snarling figure blocked her path. It reached towards her with bloody talons. The white one reached out with sharp icicles to tear her to pieces, while the yellow one wanted to burn her alive. The monsters opened their maws, filled with sharp teeth, starting to howl, tormenting her with the noise. Blake whirled away from them, but she was confronted by the molten silver eyes. The silver eyes trapped her, freezing her to the spot, while a monstrous claw reached out and dug them into her shoulder. Her scream joined the rest of the pandemonium, pain jolting through her. The first monster stabbed a needle-thin claw into her arm, and the world faded into a black blur.

* * *

Blake was laying on a bed when she opened her eyes. She felt like she had spent eternity there. She sat up, though nobody was there. She was in some kind of medical room, black and white, with red blood dripping from every corner. Soon, the blood was already up to her ankles. Panic flooded Blake as she rushed out the door, finding herself in one of the hallways of Beacon. The halls twisted in unfamiliar patterns as she raced around. The blood continued to rise, until it was at her knees.

Finally, a door opened into the courtyard, where the sun shone on the blood flooding from the building. As blood covered the paving stones, the world shuddered, flickering from day to night in an instant. Blake shivered as a cold wind tugged at her hair, pulling the ribbon from her cat ears. She ignored it as she stared at the unfamiliar world.

The sky was purple and black, with the moon a dark red. A Griffon circled above Beacon tower, while a mountain loomed ahead of her. Blake turned in confusion as Beacon melted into a puddle of rainwater, reflecting the blood red moon. In front of her, Gambol Shroud floated in a bubble of light, inviting her to grab it. Blake hesitantly poked at the sphere of light, surprised when her finger passed through the reached for it, but as her finger brushed the metal, it dissolved into dust that flew away from her outstretched hand. She gasped as the light dimmed, then vanished as veins of darkness covered the surface.

Blake turned towards the mountain, where another sphere floated, though it was dark, with red patterns slowly whirling across the surface. _I have to get to that,_ she thought. She started climbing the face of the mountain, until she reached her objective. She touched it, and it dropped to the ground and shattered like glass. She turned in a circle, unsure of what to do next. She stared at the fragments of black glass on the ground, where her ribbon was coiled in a loop. She picked it up, staring at it. A loud thud startled her into looking up.

The large Griffon that had been circling overhead had landed on the ridge above Blake's head. The front of its wings were armoured by bony plates, each segment hinged for mobility. Its legs were all covered with bone, stained with black and red designs that reminded Blake of feathers. Its mask was edged with curved spikes that resembled crescent moons. The tail tip had a long spike, with a hooked point. Along the Griffon's back, a bone plate joined the bone lining the wings, colored with black swirls that were similar to feathers curled into crescent moons. When it flapped its wings, it was displaying feathers trimmed with razor sharp bone. Its eyes were solid blood red, glowing darkly. The claws were curled into more crescents, each serrated and barbed. Blake thought the Griffon was the most elegant thing she had ever seen.

"Well. You are impressive." The Griffon murmured, turning her head in interest.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked, confused and uncertain.

"Yes, Singarti was right, much as I hate to admit it." The Griffon ignored Blake's question. "I could work with this. Just might work." She continued to mutter distractedly.

"I think… yes, I think that this is a splendid plan." The Griffon poked Blake with a claw, examining her.

"What plan?" Blake asked.

"Hmm. Fix that, and almost perfect." She nodded, then looked Blake in the eye. "The Night Begins." With that, she took flight, knocking Blake to the ground. The world faded as the Griffon flew away.

* * *

Bright white lights shone above Blake, making her long for the dark. Her body was laying on a bed of some sort. She tried to make her arms push her torso up, but couldn't manage. A faraway voice said something, but her ears didn't catch the words. A shadow blocked the light above her, saying something too indistinct to make out. She blinked slowly as the figure leaned over her face. Blake could see short black hair as the figure came closer, but nothing else. Another shadow hovered over the figure's shoulder, watching her with a hand on Blake's shoulder.

Blake blinked again, watching the two figures argue over something before they turned their attention to Blake again. Blake stared at the second shadow as the first one leaned closer, saying something. Blake looked at her, and startled as silver eyes met hers. The Silver-Eyes pulled back, then whispered to the second one before saying something to Blake.

Blake watched as they walked away. Her eyes closed as the light above her turned to shadow. Sleep pulled her from the world, where silver-eyed monstrosities chased her in her dreams.

* * *

 **Yang's POV**

Yang poked her head into the hospital room. Blake sat in the bed, staring at her hands. Yang knocked on the doorframe, quietly stepping into the room. Blake looked up, saw the question in her partner's eyes, then nodded.

"Hey Blake." Yang said quietly.

"Yang. Hi." Blake sounded like she had screamed her throat to pieces. She did, Yang thought with a wince remembering the scene in the entrance hall.

"What do you remember?" Yang asked quietly.

"I remember getting Ruby her weapon, then getting dragged away by Grimm. I was knocked out by a Grimm, then I woke up in a cage. Then they took me out of the cage, then I was tortured for information, but I can't remember what they asked me. After a while, the Blue General and Singarti took me to the hill, told me to kill a soldier. I refused, then she threatened me. I killed him. I was tortured some more, put back, then you found me."

"What can you remember about when we got back?' Yang asked hesitantly.

"We came back and… I don't really know. I can only remember someone screaming. What happened?"

"You kind of freaked out. You drew your weapon, waved it at some civilians, started screaming, then Goodwitch knocked you out." Yang said. Blake looked up, making Yang gasp at her scars.

Each of her cheeks was marked with a Griffon's head. Her facial bones were all traced with a scar, and both of her cat ears were notched with numerous cuts. Her fingers were striped with thick rings of red. On her palms a crescent moon was carved with a circle of stars surrounding it.

"They decorated me," Blake hissed with fury.

"They'll pay," Yang promised. "I swear. Can you fight yet? Ozpin wants everyone to secure a new perimeter."

Blake scoffed, surprising Yang. "We couldn't hold the last one, what makes this any different?"

"Ozpin said if we can get to Ironwood's ship, we can get out of here. Ironwood's forces have set up a perimeter that will merge with ours if we can get it going," Yang held out Gambol Shroud, and though she had an odd expression, Blake took it. _Was that… fear?_ Yang wondered.

"I'll get ready then." Blake said.

* * *

 **Singarti's POV**

The moon shone into the clearing where Singarti sat. He watched as thousands of Griffons flew overhead, diving into the forest. One Griffon landed in the clearing. It was Tyana, the Lord of Night. She walked forward to sit by Singarti.

 _You plan is working well,_ she thought to him. _Though I had to help it along._

 _Yes, and I thank you for that. Have the Council decided upon a course of action yet?_ Singarti asked her.

 _I do believe Gundhramn and Nita will be here soon. After all, you did steal their troops. They aren't happy about that, but they will forgive you if they can command them,_ Tyana thought at him amusedly.

 _They will be fine,_ he thought back.

Tyana looked at him seriously. _You do realise that if this goes wrong, it will be devastating. We will suffer great losses, as well as placing ourselves at great risk. Singarti looked away and remained silent. You saw what happened to you when the last Silver-Eyes found you! If the new Silver-Eyes discovers her own power, we won't be able to escape. We will die, along with our kin. Our children will never be able to live in peace, and they will be hunted down to extinction. We have to ensure our success, with absolutely no room for the chance of defeat. This assassin has to complete her mission successfully._

 _She will,_ Singarti growled. Though his mind was also plagued by doubts, he would not admit it to Tyana. We will win, especially when Gundhramn and Nita arrive. We will finally crush them once and for all.

 **A/N: Many thanks for the follows, favorites and views. There are 600 views now! I definitely did _not_ expect that many. Thank you all.**

 **Okay, so I'm trying something out with Blake's POV. I'm definitely not good at writing that, but I'll try to get somewhere with it. Sorry for the bad writing, I just wanted to put Blake in a dream basically.**

 **If there is anyone interested, I might write something about the history of the Grimm Lords.**

 **Tyana's name comes from an ancient text called Life of Apollonius of Tyana, where Gryphons are described.**


	6. Chapter 5: Night Conquers All

**Blake's POV**

Blake watched Yang leave the room. Slowly, she set Gambol Shroud on the bed beside her. Her dream was the only thing she hadn't told Yang, and she didn't want to tell anyone. Her weapon dissolving seemed so possible. She picked up an extra set of ammo, then went to find Yang. The rest of her team was waiting for her with the rest of the Beacon students in the auditorium.

Less than a quarter of the original student population remained, shown in the emptiness of the auditorium. Blake joined her team, where Ruby was standing with two of the members of Team CFVY.

"Blake!" Weiss exclaimed. She smiled and Blake nodded with a smile of her own. Yang grinned as Ruby turned around, humming with excitement.

"You're awake!" Ruby hugged Blake, but Blake saw her eyes and couldn't think of anything but the terrifying orbs of molten silver.

Ozpin climbed onto the stage before he began. "Students, we have this one chance to escape. We must take it." A smattering of applause dotted the sparse crowd. "All of you have been assigned your roles. Prepare yourselves." Then Ozpin disappeared.

"What are you doing Coco?" Ruby asked.

"Me and Fox are guarding the school, so you can run back when you fail badly. We're stuck with another team that lost members too. I have to go now." Coco muttered, then left.

Blake followed her team as they went back to their dorm. Ruby grabbed her scythe blade, that had obviously been hastily modified to be a useable weapon. Yang grabbed her Ember Celica, while Weiss took Myrtenaster.

Blake made sure she still had Gambol Shroud on her back. She slipped away from the rest of them, walking outside, remembering her dream. She pulled out her weapon, staring at it. She looked up at the sky, wishing for a sky of darkness, and a moon of blood. As she stared at the sky, she saw a small Griffon sitting on the roof, watching her. She stared back at it, watching it calmly. In the back of her head, she heard a small voice screaming for its death. Another voice told her it was perfectly fine for it to sit there. Deciding to listen to the first voice, she raised her pistol. To her horror, it began to disappear. She jumped back, and her weapon clattered to the paving stones, whole and untouched. _I'm going mad._ The Griffon swooped down next to her, startling her.

 _Your weapon is unreliable. I understand, and I can help. Use this._ Before she could get over the shock of the Griffon's voice in her head, it dropped a knife into her hands. Blake looked up at it, surprised to see friendliness in its gaze.

 _Beware the ones you cannot trust. Shadows are your allies, remember that._ With that warning, the young Griffon flew away.

Blake stared after it for a moment before she stooped to retrieve her weapon, and ran inside. Her team was ready when she returned, waiting for her. She deflected their questions and followed them out of Beacon. Screams emanated from Vale as Blake looked down on the town. Ruby poked her, then led the way into Vale.

* * *

Blake blocked a swipe from the dead eyed man as he swung an axe at her. She responded with a kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground. A growl from behind indicated another threat. She spun and stabbed the Ursa in its chest. It dissolved into nothingness.

The rest of her team hacked away behind her. Ozpin was dealing with an Alpha Ursa to her right. A Corrupted lumbered towards her, forcing her to leap backwards. It swung its mace towards her, showing the familiar face of Cardin before she ducked. The swing hit a student on her left, who screamed in pain before he dropped like a sack of stones.

She stabbed at him, exploiting the one weakness in his armor she'd found in training. It proved equally as effective, as Cardin fell on top of his earlier victim. Blake watched him fall, seeing no recognition in his eyes.

A large Beowolf lunged at her, snarling ferociously. Blake leapt back, raising her weapon. The Beowolf swung at her, and as she raised her blade, she saw it dissolving before her eyes. Blake shrieked with horror, dropping the weapon. She saw Gambol Shroud drop to the ground, and heard someone shout her name.

A red blur dashed in front of her, blocking the attack from the Beowolf. Silver eyes flashed at Blake, filling her heart with fear. Her fingers found the dagger the Griffon had given her. The Silver-Eyes dispatched the Beowolf, then darted towards Blake. Without realizing what she was doing, Blake drew the knife, raising it in self defense. The Silver-Eyes didn't see the blade, but was distracted by a Griffon. With a start, Blake recognized the young Griffon from that morning. Blake heard it cry out in pain, and rose to help it. She started forward, watching the Silver-Eyes. She lunged forward and stabbed the knife between the Silver-Eyes' ribs, twisting it as she pulled it out. Her shriek was a beautiful noise of pain and shock.

 _What am I doing?_ Blake thought dazedly, stabbing the blade into the spine of her enemy. The twisted witch had drawn her allies with her cry of pain. One pulled her away, causing the Silver-Eyes to drop to the ground.

The Griffon she had been fighting leaped into the sky, flying towards the forest. _Thank you sister,_ it thought to her.

 _Any time, sky-brother._ Blake thought back, as a multitude of hands pulled her back to Beacon. More lifted the Silver-Eyes, who was screaming still. Others defended them as they pulled back. _The Night Begins to Conquer the Day,_ Blake thought with satisfaction.

* * *

Her legs were numb, her side aflame with pain. She writhed as burning fire coursed through her veins. Blood poured out of her side, stealing her life, bit by bit. Her mind was filled with painful fire, robbing her of her senses. Voices were heard in the distance, but her own voice was shrieking louder than all of them. Her eyes were molten silver, burning through her skull. She screamed with the pain of one who has been stabbed in the back by her best friend.

 **A/N: This is a day early, so... yay? I've got a few new fanfics in the works, all described in my profile. The descriptions will continue to be updated as the stories are developed.**


	7. Chapter 6: Playing With Fire

**Yang's POV**

Yang stared at Blake, who was pacing the small cell she had been placed in when they had returned from the disastrous mission to Ironwood's ship. The barred window blocked Yang from Blake's line of sight, allowing Yang to observe her traitorous partner.

Blake was muttering to herself under her breath, scratching at her neck occasionally. Her hair was disheveled. Yang watched her for a moment more, thinking. _There's still blood on her hands._ Ruby's _blood._ Yang felt fury rise up inside her with the familiar protectiveness of Ruby. She backed away from the cell door, feeling only confusion. _Why did Blake do that? Ruby's her friend._ Yang shook her head, then went to check on Ruby.

oOo

As Yang approached Ruby's bedside, Weiss looked up at her with weariness. She hadn't left Ruby's side since they had come back. Ruby was unconscious, drugged into sleeping away from the pain.

"How is she?" Yang asked.

"Not good. There was some kind of poison on the knife, but they purged it from her system. What's really bad is where she was stabbed. She punctured a lung, and she almost drowned in her own blood before we got back. Then she was stabbed in the spine. This is the worst part." Weiss paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "It wasn't a bad wound, but the poison worsened it to the point where the spinal cord decayed and snapped. The poison prevented her from using aura to heal it, and the doctors aren't sure if she will ever be able to use aura again. And Yang… she's paralyzed, forever."

"What?" Yang felt as though the world had disappeared from under her feet, leaving her to fall into an endless void. Ruby stirred in her bed, muttering.

Yang jumped up, already storming towards the door. Weiss called after her, but didn't follow. Yang rounded the corner, determined to reach Blake's cell.

oOo

As she reached the cell, Yang paused before reaching towards the cell door.

"Ms. Xiao Long." Ozpin stepped out of the shadows near the door, making Yang jump. "You received my request to be at the interrogation I see."

"Umm, yeah," Yang muttered, her heart still racing.

"Well, let us enter." Ozpin opened the door and entered the cell. Yang followed him in, watching Blake closely. _Will I ever trust her again?_ Yang wondered before finding her answer. _No, never._

oOo

 **Blake's POV**

She didn't notice them entering her cell until they were standing in the middle of her path. They stood with purpose and caution. _They're afraid. Not afraid of me. Afraid for the Silver-Eyes._ Blake mused over this prospect before the green one cleared his throat.

"Ms. Belladonna. Why did you suddenly attack your team leader?" He asked very politely, though the fiery one was tense with desire to beat answers out of Blake.

"Silver-Eyes?" The one made of fire growled, and in a corner of Blake's mind, some cruel shadow cracked its eye open.

"Yes, that would be Ms. Rose. You attacked her, why?" The shadow grinned and stretched out its muscles with relish.

"Her? Wouldn't anyone?" The shadow pulled her tongue into words designed to cut. Blake grinned with satisfaction, watching the fireball's eyes flicker to red.

"No, nobody would. Except you, it seems. And you were one of her best friends." The green man acted like the words meant nothing, but Blake saw his jaw clench and his hands tighten on his cane.

"Is she dead? Or did I cut her semblance from her with a single stab?" The bonfire started forward, but the green man stopped her with a wave of his hand. "I never before thought that one could drown so far from water, especially in her own blood. At least she lives in the torment of knowing she cannot even be a Huntress. She'll have to find a new dream to follow. One that is achievable from a chair or a bed."

This time the green one could not stop the raging dragon. Blake ducked under the blows of the furious girl, allowing survival instincts to take over. She danced around her partner, weaving around the barren cell.

"Denying the truth? And I thought you were supposed to be honorable people." Blake smiled cruelly as the yellow dragon was doused to nothing more than a spark, easily crushed beneath a foot.

"Ms. Belladonna!" The green one looked at her with shock and disgust. "We will return, with others who can… persuade you better than I." The pair left, the extinguished fire glaring at Blake with hatred.

 _Torture? They think torture will give them secrets?_ Blake scoffed at the idea. _They will never find anything._

oOo

A rumble shook the ground, startling Blake from her doze. _An explosion. But what human would be fighting their own kind at a time like this?_ Blake stood up, stretching her arms above her head. _Anyways, I'll gain from this._ The scars on her face twitched as she grinned as shouts echoed through the corridor.

In the hall, feet pounded past, followed by weapons clashing. _So not Grimm, but Corrupted._ Blake could hear faint thoughts emitting from the Corrupted, following the orders they had been given. _Find me? I'm that important, to stage an attack on Beacon? There's another two minds, not Grimm or Corrupted, I can't reach them._ Blake waited, staring at the door as the group came closer, defeating the soldiers with ease.

As they reached her cell, she felt dread wash over her as a familiar voice ordered the Corrupted to open the door. As it slammed open, Blake sighed with annoyance.

In the doorway, a familiar orange-haired man stood, followed by his bodyguard made of ice cream.

"Well, I never expected _you_ to be the one we were after, but I suppose orders are orders," Torchwick sighed. "Come on, Kitty. You better be worth it."

Blake followed him out into the hallway, running towards the exit with the rest of the people, thinking of how much harder her life would be with Torchwick in the game again.

 **A/N: Yeah, Torchwick's joining the party. He's the best character, and he wouldn't have the chance to die this time round. Anyways, sorry for the gap in updates. I'm going to just have thousand word updates for a bit.**


	8. Chapter 7: Blood of The Night

**Yang's POV**

Yang stared at the ground, listening to Ruby breathing quietly in her drug induced sleep. The moon shone through the window, the wings of Grimm making the light flicker. Blake had escaped little more than an hour before, with help from Torchwick and Neo, and the explosions they had set off had caused a huge pain for the Hunters to shore up the defenses. Yang had helped before weariness had caught up with her. Now she sat by Ruby's side. Somehow, sleep eluded her.

 _Was Blake right? Will Ruby be unable to be a Huntress?_ Yang sighed as her thoughts circled around the conversation she had with Blake. _Ozpin says that she will always have a place as a Huntress, but I can't see how she could._ Yang looked up as the door opened and Weiss entered the room.

"Ruby's good?" Weiss asked as she stretched her arms above her head. "Well, as good as she could be in these circumstances."

"Yeah. They say she'll wake up tomorrow. Don't know if I believe that, but hell, it's better than saying depressing stuff." Yang muttered sullenly.

"I'm sure Ruby'll wake up. She's the strongest person we know."

"You really think that?" Yang looked up at Weiss, her vision blurred by tears.

"Of course. We can't just give up on her." Weiss said firmly. "Even if it doesn't look good now, it'll get better."

"I just… I can't picture her ever being happy again. Her entire dream is gone."

"That might not be true." Weiss said. "There's some Atlas tech that might change that."

"She could walk again?"

"Maybe. We would have to get out of this mess first, but yeah; it's a definite possibility." Weiss said.

Yang couldn't help smiling, her joy overwhelming everything else as she leapt up and crushed Weiss in a hug.

oOo

 **Blake's POV**

Howls of bestial hunger echoed off the walls of the warehouse as Blake wandered along the rows of crates. Each was labeled with a different type of weapon, some were modern weapons: guns, explosives. Others were more archaic, like knives and swords. Blake finally reached the one labelled as ammo. She cracked the wood easily, opening it and tossing it to the Corrupted behind her. It carried it off, presumably to the rest of the Corrupted that were looting the warehouse.

"Well Kitty, I'm surprised you've had such a change of heart."

Blake spun with a feral hiss at the voice.

"Don't call me that." Blake muttered as she spotted Torchwick.

"If you insist." He grinned as he leaned against a stack of tall crates. "But really, what makes you do a complete 180 on your friends?"

"What does it matter? There isn't a reason, so get back to work." Blake shoved past him as she opened another crate.

"Oh, there's always a reason. And who gave you the authority to order me around? I thought any Uncorrupted human was with us. Anyone not with us is Corrupted." Torchwick watched Blake as she drew out a small pistol from the crate.

"Since I'm a new General for the Griffon, I am equal to the Blue General." Blake inspected the pistol before stuffing it back in the crate. She continued walking along the maze of crates, each pile of crates stacked higher than her.

"Kyanite? I was under the impression she was crazy." Torchwick followed Blake, casually swinging his cane around.

"You shouldn't insult her in the presence of another General. That's not exactly something you say if you want to live long."

"I'll take my chances. This warehouse is just about finished anyway. The Grimm are getting restless, and we're supposed to tell you that the Lords are meeting soon." Torchwick strode off, his shouts at the Corrupted echoing back to Blake.

 _Odd. I need to get some kind of weapon soon. Where were the blades at again?_ Blake inspected the crates again. Loud roars reminded her to hurry as she opened multiple crates. She kicked open a crate, searching for a suitable weapon. _No, not that one._ Blake tossed it over her shoulder. _Is that one…? Yes!_ Blake drew out a short bladed katana, similar to the length of Gambol Shroud. _Perfect. This will be absolutely amazing._ Blake hurried away, grinning madly as she left the looted warehouse.

oOo

 **Tyana's POV**

 _This plan might actually work. I am very surprised._ Tyana thought to Singarti as they watched the city burning before them. The moonlight shone on the exposed hilltop, the forest at their backs.

 _Of course it will._ Singarti growled back, but Tyana could tell he was pleased by the progression of the siege.

 _We meet with the Generals soon. Who do you think Gundhramn and Nita will choose as their Generals? I remember Nita's last one was something silly. Cotton Puff, I think. How intimidating it was, Cotton Puff, the Pink General!_ Tyana snickered at the memory.

 _Nita was so furious, kept saying she was more ferocious than that._ Singarti thought amusedly.

 _When was that? Was it the third assault? Five centuries ago?_ Tyana wondered.

 _No, I can remember, it was back when Atlas was first mining dust in huge quantities. Six centuries._ Singarti glanced at the moon. _We should probably get to that meeting you mentioned._

Tyana nodded, satisfied that her plan to get Singarti to relax had worked. She took off, watching Singarti bound across the field. _Now things are going our way._

oOo

 **Kyanite's POV**

Kyanite stood on the hill, waiting for her master. The cat one stood impatiently at her side. Kyanite leaned on her sword, reminding the cat one that having a change of heart wouldn't last long if its heart was shredded to bits. Kyanite eyed the cat one as it sharpened its sword.

 _Not exactly material for master, but the Lord Tyana probably likes it; enough to make it her General for eternity._ Kyanite glanced around impatiently. _I hope this starts soon._

 _You were thinking?_ Singarti stepped from the bushes, startling Kyanite.

"Master, my apologies." Kyanite bowed to the Beowolf, feeling the thud of the Lord Tyana landing close beside her own Master.

 _Well, let's get started. Kyanite, as Singarti's General, translate for me._ Tyana looked down at the cat one, who was standing to stare at Tyana.

"I am to translate for the Lord Tyana so that you may be accepted as her General." Kyanite said to the cat one as it nodded.

" _Blake, you have been accepted as a potential candidate as the General of The Griffon. Do you accept this position?"_

"I do. I would serve as General gladly." Blake said forcibly.

" _Very well."_ Tyana placed a taloned paw on Blake's head. " _You are raised above both humanity and Grimm to serve the Lord Griffon. You have accepted this position, Black General of Lord Tyana."_ Kyanite stood back, watching as Blake closed her eyes. They were completely black when she opened them again.

Kyanite couldn't help but feel bad for the people who resisted the combined might of two Grimm Lords and their Generals.

 **A/N: Updates will be chaotic for a bit, I'm going to write in advance so the story can be a bit better. And it's not going to get happy. I don't really do happy stories. With that grimm note, thanks to the people who read this. Great pun, right?**


	9. Chapter 8: Crushed Snow

**Trigger Warning: Major Character Death and Gore**

 **Ruby's POV**

She awoke with sunlight burning her eyes. Ruby turned her head away, wishing she could ignore the pain in her side. The room was empty, save for Yang sleeping in a chair. Ruby coughed as she drew herself up to sit on the bed. Yang started, waking and stretching her arms. Finally she saw Ruby, gaping at her in surprise.

"Am I really that bad looking?" Ruby said hoarsely, trying to sound lighthearted.

"No! It's just… I didn't think you would even be awake yet." Yang replied, glancing at the door.

"Where's Weiss and Blake?" Ruby asked.

"Well, Weiss should be around soon. How much do you remember?"

"I remember that we were going on a mission. Did I get hurt?" Ruby saw Yang's hands clenched into fists.

"Yeah." Yang answered quietly.

Ruby knew something was off, but she couldn't figure it out. Her thoughts were scattered and slow.

"You should rest now. You probably can't remember 'cause of the drugs they have you on." Yang leaned back in her chair, watching Ruby with glistening eyes.

"Sure. I'll-" Ruby broke off coughing, her lungs heaving painfully. Yang started forward, hovering uncertainly by Ruby's side. The coughs subsided after a moment and Ruby managed to wave Yang back to her chair. She didn't see Yang's eyes welling when she turned away.

"I have to go find Weiss now." Yang bolted out of the room, leaving behind a confused Ruby.

oOo

 **Weiss's POV**

Weiss stabbed the Ursa, watching it dissolve into smoke. She scowled at the next Grimm, a large Beowolf. Fury pulsed through her veins as she sliced at the Grimm's arm. It howled in pain, not seeing Weiss as she stabbed her sword into its skull. It dissolved midway through its howl.

 _All of this, it's all Blake's fault!_ Weiss thought as she challenged the next Grimm. _Blake betrayed us, for no reason! Why?_ Weiss slaughtered the Grimm easily. Turning, she was furious to see an empty street. Not a single Grimm remained from her carnage. Even after going out to hunt Grimm against her orders for hours, she wasn't satisfied to see nothing to take her anger out on.

Weiss stared at Beacon, looming over the city, still smoking from the explosions from Blake's escape. She reluctantly began walking back.

oOo

Weiss opened the door, slipping into Beacon unnoticed. The hall was mostly empty, with only a solitary guard drinking from a flask. He watched her briefly before returning to his drunken stupor. Weiss strode across the entryway briskly. As she walked along the deserted hallways, the life sucked away, Weiss couldn't help to see the futility of defending such a large place against a Grimm horde with so few left to keep the Grimm out. _If only we hadn't been led into that massacre. We wouldn't have such weak defenses._ Weiss felt her rage bubble up to the surface again. _Blake did this to us, for absolutely no reason at all!_ Lost in her thoughts, Weiss didn't see Yang until she had run headfirst into her.

"Weiss!" Yang gasped, her eyes blurred with tears.

"Yang?" Weiss asked after she had steadied herself. "What are you doing?"

"It's Ruby. She doesn't remember getting stabbed, but it's just the damned drugs messing with her head."

"So… she still thinks Blake is on our side. But only until the meds are gone." Weiss wrapped her head around this new piece of information. "What are we going to tell her? She can't be told, that's for certain, but she can't just be left without something." Weiss said slowly.

"I can't lie to her!" Yang said, tears running down her face.

"I don't know what to do then." Weiss sighed, exhausted.

"Can we decide later?" Yang whispered. "I just… I can't do that to her."

"Yeah. We'll visit her when we have an excuse lined up. For now, let's see what we can do." Yang quietly followed Weiss as they turned to go find work.

oOo

The bloodred sun was setting as Weiss and Yang left Beacon, fully armed.

"Should we split up to clear out the Grimm?" Yang asked Weiss, loading ammo into her gauntlets.

"Yeah. It'll go faster that way." Weiss replied with a yawn.

They entered Vale, killing a few Grimm before splitting up. Yang nodded as she headed away, smashing in a Beowolf's skull as she ran. Weiss watched her go before turning along the infested street she was clearing out.

She quickly dispatched three Grimm, fighting automatically. As she cleared the street, a wave of Corrupted poured from a nearby building, holding weapons from the warehouse they just looted. Weiss ducked into an alleyway, hiding from their dead gazes. She watched as they organised themselves into neat lines. The weapons were distributed with efficiency, even as the sight of a child being handed a gun, blood dripping into its mutilated face, made Weiss shudder. A few Grimm peeled away from the pack surrounding a few figures as they went the other way. Weiss heard the screams echo from the direction the Grimm had gone to feed.

A shudder went through the ranks as a new figure stepped out from the Corrupted, holding a bloody katana. Her cat ears twitched in Weiss's direction as she sheathed the blade. A few orders were given, half ran off, the other half stayed behind.

"I know you're there. Come out." Blake called in a lilting voice.

Weiss stepped out as the other Corrupted appeared at the other end of the street, trapping her. Weiss glared at Blake, ignoring her weariness and the Corrupted around them. She leapt at her, feeling her fury boil again. _All of my questions about her betrayal…_ Weiss thought as she swept her weapon at Blake's legs.

Blake easily jumped over the blade. A feral grin spread across her scarred face as she drew her katana. Weiss slashed again as Blake brought the katana up in an elegant block. A counterattack, offensive stab and defensive parry followed quickly, but Weiss's blows never came anywhere close to touching Blake.

"Why?" Weiss asked as they traded blows. "Why did you betray us?"

Blake laughed, ducking under a brutal attack. "Why not?" Her voice casually carried over the ring of their blades. "You are weak, and merely limping along the final steps to death."

Blake twitched an ear at Weiss's scream of rage, twisting out of the path of Myrtenaster. As she twisted, she lashed out, slashing Weiss's side open to the bones of her rib cage. She cried out in pain as the blade cut through her aura easily.

Weiss backed away from the fight. Blake grinned as she watched Weiss panting from exertion. She examined her side, seeing the ivory gleam of bones amid the red blood soaking into her white jacket. Her aura was slowly healing the wound, knitting the muscles back together at a snail's pace. Weiss looked up to see Blake's sadistic grin widening as she licked Weiss's blood from the katana's blade. Weiss felt disgust for her former friend as she raised her weapon again. Blake leapt forward, attacking in blinding flashes, barely allowing Weiss time to defend herself. Not more than a minute had gone by before Weiss's defenses finally fell to the fury of Blake's attack as she stabbed her viciously between her ribs. Weiss stopped in shock, her blade still poised to counter the attack.

Her own blood began filling her lungs as Blake drew her sword out with a self satisfied grin. Weiss coughed, blood speckling her pristine jacket as her aura belatedly attempted hasty repair work before Blake stabbed her again on the other side. Weiss stumbled forward as Blake violently ripped her katana out of Weiss's body. Blake shoved her away and Weiss felt as though she was in a dream as her head slammed against the paving stones of the street. Her breath came in wet gasps, shallow and faint. _I'm dying_. She realised, blinking slowly. Blood trickled from a corner of her lips, tracing her jaw as it fell to the ground. A familiar shriek echoed in the distance, but all she could see was Blake striding over to her. Her maniacal grin still firmly in place, she raised her booted foot above Weiss's face.

"Goodbye." Blake laughed as she slammed her foot down.

The world fragmented, pain distorting Weiss's vision before she dimly registered a final slam as the world abruptly dissolved into nothingness.


	10. Chapter 9: Ever More, Never More

**Trigger Warning: Somewhat Gore?**

 **Yang's POV**

Yang punched the last Grimm on the street, killing it swiftly. _That was good._ Yang thought as the Beowolf dissolved into black smoke. She cracked her knuckles, grinning at the carnage the street was left in. She jogged back to the meeting place that she had agreed to meet Weiss at. The intersection was empty and quiet when she arrived. _Where is she?_ Yang looked towards the street weiss had went down. A loud clatter echoed from another street. Yang hid as a large group of Corrupted and Grimm headed down the street Weiss had gone down. Yang leapt out, running after the Grimm as her good mood evaporated. She saw them line up at the end of the street with precision. She crept closer, climbing on top of a building to get a better view of what was going on.

In the middle of the street, Weiss fell to the ground in front of Blake. Yang couldn't help but shriek as Blake strode over to Weiss's fallen form and smashed her foot onto Weiss's head. The Corrupted turned to look up at her, but Yang was staring at the bloody stain that had once been her friend's head.

Yang's stomach could no longer take in the horrific sight, and as she turned, she glimpsed a Corrupted reaching towards her with a bloody stump of a hand. Yang yelped in fear, her nausea forgotten as she leapt away from the Corrupted. She turned to run, only to find herself trapped by more Corrupted.

"Oh, Yang, why do you run?" Blake called, looking away from the corpse in front of her. "We could work out our differences."

Yang shook her head mutely. She backed away from the Corrupted, even as they encircled her.

"Yang, you see what happened here. Why fight?" Blake said as she entered the circle of Corrupted. "You could join me, and fight with us."

"You killed Weiss! You fight for the Grimm, against us and you expect me to join you?" Yang said as she backed away from Blake.

"Of course. Anyone sensible joins the stronger side."

Yang raised her gauntlets, heart sinking as she realised who would win in a fight. Blake grinned, baring sharpened teeth akin to fangs. The dying daylight flickered on the bloody blade she held casually. Blake swung her katana at Yang's head suddenly. Yang ducked, then bolted away, leaping over the heads of the Corrupted. She ran away, farther into the city, chased by Blake's mad laughter.

Yang ran until she couldn't feel her legs, stumbling and rolling to a halt as she crumpled in an alleyway. She couldn't think of anything but Weiss's destroyed head. Her stomach turned and she vomited as she remembered the gruesome sight. Sobs wracked her body as she curled in a ball, mourning the death of her friend.

oOo

 **Blake's POV**

 _Pathetic creature._ Blake kicked the headless corpse at her feet. The Corrupted snarled around her, echoing the sentiment. _At least the fireball gives something of a challenge._ She turned away, walking towards Beacon. A pack of Grimm fed on their latest kill at the end of the street, tearing an arm off of the torso as they fought over the body. Blake continued on, seeing the carnage that the Grimm had wreaked on Vale. The streets were filled with blood and human remains, and buildings had collapsed into rubble. Several Nevermores flew overhead, and Beowolves howled in the distance. Beacon smoldered in the distance. _Look at the beautiful chaos._ Blake tilted her head back to the sky, breathing in the scent of rotting flesh and fresh blood. _We shall soon see if Beacon can stand up to us._ She continued her path towards her former school.

oOo

Blake stood at the doors of Beacon, a massive army of Grimm and Corrupted standing behind her. The doors trembled as an Ursa slammed into it, pushing it open slightly before the guards on the other side heaved it closed. The Ursa roared angrily, backing up and ramming it again. Blake signaled to another group of Grimm, watching them join the Ursa. They pushed against the door together, slowly opening it, centimeter by centimeter. With a final resounding crack, the door burst open. The Grimm swarmed in, finding a large fighting force of Hunters to confront them. Blake rushed ahead of the pack, drawing her sword.

With a feral snarl, she stabbed her katana into the closest Hunter's eye, one wielding twin pistols equipped with blades. The Huntress standing beside him yelled furiously as he dropped to the ground silently. She leapt at Blake, swinging her hammer at Blake's head. Blake twisted under the swing, casually decapitating the girl with a swing of her katana. Her head bounced and rolled away as her corpse landed on top of the male's.

Another Huntress gaped at the quick slaughter, her red hair bloodied by her friends' death. Her shield hung at her side along with a spear. Blake stabbed at her, surprised when her katana stopped in midair. The Huntress had raised her hands defensively, a frown of concentration creasing her face. She spun out of the way of Blake's strike as she released the weapon, drawing her own spear and shield.

 _Ah. This one. She should provide a decent challenge._ Without thinking, Blake bared her sharpened teeth in a malicious grin, eager to fight an opponent close to her skill level. _I never would have stood up to her if I weren't a General. All my strength and skill I owe to being a General._

The Huntress looked around, watching for an attack from behind. Blake saw the carnage that her Grimm were causing, knowing that if the red haired Huntress would join the fight, there would be heavy losses. She slammed her katana onto the girl's shield, drawing her back into their duel. She backed away long enough for the Huntress to right herself from the blow, then charged in to the fight.

 _She is very skilled with her weapons and semblance._ Blake thought as they traded blows. She slashed at the girl's throat, feeling the familiar resistance of the semblance. The girl brought her shield up, stabbing her spear underneath it. Blake pulled her sword away as she avoided the blow. For another minute, the clash of metal and sounds of exertion were the only things that mattered to the two dueling girls. Blake found that she had to invest herself into the fight, not casually end it with a snap of her fingers. She wasn't able to land a single blow. Reluctantly, she drew away from the fight for a moment, panting. They warily eyed each other as the Grimm around them continued their slaughter.

 _I do have to admit, she's better than me in a duel like this. Her semblance makes her untouchable by any blade._ Blake thought to herself as they stood on the opposite sides of an invisible circle. _I can't get to her. Unless…_ Blake grinned at her plan, looking into her opponent's fearful green eyes.

Blake charged, stabbing at the Huntress' unguarded side. As she expected, the girl used her semblance to make up for her lack of defense. Blake let go of her blade, allowing the girl to push it away across the room. Blake's hands shot up to the girl's neck, crushing her breath in her own throat. With a feeble cough, she dropped her spear and shield to claw at Blake's hands. With a sudden twist of her wrists, Blake snapped the girl's neck, allowing her to limply drop to the ground.

The Grimm were cutting down the nearby Hunters with ease. A loud crash echoed from above as the tower collapsed. Blake smiled as she joined the Grimm in the massacre. Soon, the hall was emptied of Hunters, and the only sounds were the tearing of flesh as the Grimm feasted on corpses. The smaller Grimm soon left to search the building for more people to feast on. Blake watched the carnage, wandering along the hall with the smile of a satisfied cat. Blake looked up as a large Nevermore flew in the broken doors and landed in the entrance.

The Nevermore raised his wings of bone, long plates rattling as they shifted in place of feathers. The bone feathers were decorated with black lines, crossing over one another to form the appearance of feathers. The bone wings merged into the Nevermore's body, feathers covering the shoulder joint of the wing. The bone mask that all Nevermores wore had extended to cover the belly and throat. Red lines decorated the bone, emanating from the Nevermore's golden eyes. More red was splashed around its face, but it was glistening and fresh. The talons were solid bone, with more blood coating them. In its bloody feet, a limp body was twisted in the unnatural throes of death.

Blake bowed at the waist, seeing the other Grimm crouching lower at its entrance. It eyed them before finding Blake at the head of the horde.

 _You must be Tyana's most recent General._ Blake nodded as it dropped the corpse in its talons and pulled out its intestines. _Your team is half decimated, yes? The Silver-Eyes is incapacitated, and the pale one is dead; her head smashed to a pulp by your foot._ Blake watched it pull the corpse apart with deft movements of its claws and beak. _We will have killed every Hunter on this continent soon. We must find the Silver-Eyes, use her to draw her sister out, and kill her as well._

"Of course; I will find her myself." Blake backed away as the Grimm Lord ate the corpse of the school's former headmaster.

 **A/N: Many thousands of thanks for the reviews. It's nice to know what people think of this.**


	11. Chapter 10: Bloodied Blade

**Blake's POV**

Blake stalked the halls of Beacon, searching for Ruby. The screams of the remaining people died away after the Grimm had feasted. With a sudden stop, Blake threw open a door, seeing an empty room. Blake turned away in disappointment, but paused. Ruby's crimson cloak was hung in the corner. _Such_ _a_ _small_ _detail_ , Blake thought. _That_ _was_ on her when I stabbed her in the back. Surely, it was on her when they revived her to live out her days as a cripple. She is undoubtedly within this room. She idly wandered over to the window. Blake frowned, then stilled her breaths for a quiet moment. Her Faunus ears picked up a ragged, but faint breathing from behind her. She turned to see Ruby, collapsed on the ground beside the bed, out of sight from the doorway. Her face brightened at the sight of Blake.

"Blake!" Ruby said as she extended her hand in a request for assistance.

With a malicious grin, Blake reached forward towards Ruby's hand. In a swift motion, she grabbed Ruby's throat, throwing her across the room. Ruby gasped as her bones fractured upon impact with the wall.

"Seems like some of the Grimm's strength is wearing off on me," Blake said. "Wouldn't you agree, Ruby?"

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Blake asked. "Giving you a friendly pat on the back?"

"But-" Ruby was cut of as Blake kicked her in the side.

"I think that you don't need to talk for a bit." Blake pulled her katana out, flashing it in front of Ruby's face. "I wonder…" She grinned as she set the blade against Ruby's leg. "Does this hurt?" Blake leaned her weight into the weapon. Ruby shook her head with a frown. "What about this?" Blake raised her sword and slammed it down on Ruby's left leg. The blade bit deep into the bone, eliciting a small yelp of surprise and horror from Ruby.

"I can't feel anything! Blake, what have you done?" Ruby asked.

"We'll see if you can help me, then I'll tell you." Blake said as she moved towards Ruby's cloak. She reached into an inner pocket, finding Ruby's scroll. "It looks like you'll be worth something after all."

oOo

 **Yang's POV**

With a heaving breath, Yang uncurled. The Grimm had passed, not noticing her as a huge Nevermore flew overhead, coming from the direction of Beacon. The echoes of Blake's foot crushing Weiss's skull reverberated throughout Yang's mind. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Her scroll suddenly vibrated, and she registered Ruby's name before answering the video call.

"Ruby?" Yang's voice died away as she saw Blake's face filling the screen.

"Hello there, Yang," Blake said with a sadistic grin. "Your poor little sister seems to be having some trouble with her legs." The camera switched around to show Ruby sitting against a wall; a bloodied katana was embedded deep in her leg, but she wasn't showing any pain. Blake turned the camera back to face her again.

"What are you doing to her, Blake?" Yang growled, furious.

"I'm trying to help her," Blake said mockingly. "Can't you see that?"

"Liar." Yang's eyes were crimson now, glowing in the dim light of the alleyway.

"Oh, really? You're just now figuring that out?" Blake replied scornfully.

"Give me Ruby, now."

"Resorting to violence? That does seem like you."

"I want Ruby back, Blake."

"Oh, you can have her back, if you can take her back." Blake smiled. "I'll be waiting in front of Beacon. One on one duel. Winner lives, loser dies. I get to kill you both, and you can die knowing you failed. Sound agreeable?"

"Oh, yeah. I'll come kill you, take Ruby with me and escape from this Grimm-ridden place."

Blake snickered. "I'm sure that'll happen." She disconnected the call before Yang had a chance to retaliate.

Yang fumed, throwing down her scroll. No, I can't get mad. That's what Blake wants. Yang sighed. She picked up the scroll before poking her head around the corner. The street was relatively clear of Grimm, with only a single Beowolf prowling the end of the street. Yang bolted towards it, slamming a fist into its skull as she reached it. It fell without a sound. Its corpse had hardly dissolved by the time Yang had left the street.

oOo

 **Mixed POV**

Blake stood in front of Beacon, with Ruby gagged and bound in front of her. Blake held her katana loosely beside her, concealing the tautness coiled in her muscles, ready to slit her captive's throat. Echoing shots reached Blake's highly attuned ears. She grinned as Ruby writhed on the ground as best she could, given her paralysis and her bonds. In a few moments, Yang rounded the corner at a full sprint, followed by several Grimm.

Halt. I have something special for this one, Blake ordered the Grimm, pleased that they stopped instantly. Yang continued towards Blake, closing the distance between them swiftly, without any sign of stopping. Blake raised her katana, poised to bring it down on Ruby's head.

"Stop, or she dies," Blake called out. Yang slowed to a standstill, a few meters from Blake and her captive.

"We agreed to a duel," Yang said. "I'm here to duel."

"Ah, yes." Blake lowered her katana to rest on Ruby's pale neck. "I also recall, that a few moments before that agreement, you called me a liar. I'd like to make sure that's true." Blake raised her katana, bringing it down on Ruby's struggling form with such force that her head separated from the rest of her body.

The pleasure of hearing Yang's agonised scream synchronise with the rage pouring off of her in waves, coupled with the rush of exhilaration from the death made Blake sigh contentedly, even as Yang rushed at her in fury. Blake raised her sword, blocking Yang's wild swing. The Grimm howled excitedly as Blake ducked under Yang's arm, hacking at her neck, but only succeeded in cutting off most of her hair. Yang howled angrily, whipping her fist at Blake's face, only to be stopped short by Blake's sword. Blake allowed herself to get caught in the wild dance of furious punches, but she knew that she would be forced to end it. After another punch by Yang, accompanied by a blast from the gun, Blake took her opportunity. As she dodged Yang's bullets, she stabbed her sword into Yang's side. Yang dropped with a scream as Blake laughed.

"Look at you, too weak to defeat me. Too weak to save your pathetic little sister," Blake said.

"Shut up, Blake! You killed Ruby because you're the weak one! You deserve to die!" Yang screamed at Blake.

She hissed and kicked Yang in the ribs. "You dare to call me weak when you are lying there, dying? Pathetic." She kicked Yang again.

Yang coiled in on herself in pain, seeing Blake swing her leg back for another kick. She braced herself against the unceasing blows, waiting for an opportunity. When Blake kicked her again, Yang swung out a leg, sweeping Blake's legs out from under her. Yang got to her feet roughly, swaying from the bloodloss. Seeing the ring of Grimm surrounding her and the way they were looking to Blake, Yang made a split second decision and blasted her way out of the circle. She ran away, not looking back for fear of seeing Grimm chasing her, or worse, Ruby's corpse.

oOo

 **Yang's POV**

The city streets were slick with blood, reflecting the dull moonlight as Yang dragged herself through them. Her hand was pressed firmly over her side, blood seeping through her fingers to run down her leg. Her heavy breathing rasped in the cool air. The screams that had once been almost commonplace were becoming fewer and farther between.

Yang grimaced in pain as she limped over a loose flagstone in the streets. She hadn't seen many Grimm, but the few she had were too distracted by dead civilians to notice or care about a half dead Huntress. Yang felt her Aura sluggishly working to repair the damage done to her, but the healing was slow. She made her way to the side of the street, stopping to lean against a wall. She let gravity pull her down, sitting quietly as her Aura strained to heal faster.

After a moment, Yang turned to look at the wound, pulling her shirt up far enough to examine it. The cut was deep, but the bleeding had stopped, which Yang supposed was a good thing. The exposed muscle twitched as Yang shifted into a more comfortable position, pulling her shirt back into place as she did so.

After a few moments, Yang hauled herself to her feet again. The motion tore a gasp of pain from her throat, but she continued onwards. Occasionally, she would have to take a side street to avoid Grimm, but she made it past the city square in good time. Yang's side had started bleeding again at some point and her vision was darkening. She limped through the open doorway of an older building, hauling herself up three flights of stairs before collapsing in a heap on the floor. The world went black before she could register anything.

oOo

 _Yang wandered the bloody streets of Vale once again, wound completely forgotten. Corpses littered the streets, all wearing the faces of the dead. Yang glimpsed Jaune's body in pieces, saw his eyes glazed over in the obscurity of death. She saw Cardin laying under the rest of his team, the black veins of the Corrupted covering his face._

 _She wandered more, seeing countless friends, all dead. The worst was when she turned the corner to find Weiss, only recognisable by her once white dress. She stared at the blood as it pooled and ran down the grooves in the street. Yang hardly noticed when the tears began to fall, hardly noticed when her legs grew numb and stopped moving, hardly noticed when she knelt beside her fallen teammate._

You are nothing now, Yang _, Blake whispered in her ear, her warm breath brushing wisps of her shortened hair._

 _Yang spun around, seeing only the blood from Weiss coating the street. She got to her feet, turning in a circle. She felt for her gauntlets, but her wariness turned to full blown panic when her hand grasped empty air. She turned back towards Weiss, but there was only empty street._

I should have known _, Blake said quietly,_ that you would be the weakest in the end _._

 _Yang took off running down the street, trying to escape Blake's accusations. She turned into an alley, but she was standing in front of Beacon, watching her sister flail once more at Blake's feet. Yang cried out wordlessly, reaching for Ruby._

You can't save her now, Yang _, Blake laughed._ She's dead. Dead, dead, dead. You killed her. You were too fragile, too weak to save her _._

 _Yang screamed as Ruby died before her eyes again._

oOo

Yang woke with the scream still in her throat. Tears cascaded fiercely down her cheeks, even as she dashed them away. She sat up quickly, feeling the relaxing weight of Ember Celica around her wrists and a twinge of pain from her side. She was no longer at the top of the stairs, instead laying on a blanket in the corner of a room lit by incongruous sunlight. She lunged to her feet as a man entered the room, but at his empty hands raised in peace, she leaned back against the wall.

"We heard your screams," the man said in a whisper. "Is everything all right?"

"Fine," she replied harshly, but quietly. "Where are we?"

"Same building you came into. Grimm are farther into the city, so it's pretty quiet around here. We pulled you in her to rest and heal, and patched you up as best we could."

"Thanks," Yang muttered.

"Come on downstairs. We have some food, even if it's not much," the man said, leading her down the stairs.

Yang noticed the bloodstain on the carpet as she descended the stairs, but didn't say anything. The second floor was a bit cleaner, but there was a small crowd of people, numbering no more than fifteen. They clustered around a table, where a crate of water and food was stacked. They were dividing the food evenly enough to leave some for Yang and the man that was leading her. She took her share of the food, eating it quickly. The man nodded to her as he stepped on top of the table.

"You all may have noticed that we ate the last of our food, and that we have a Huntress among us. That means that today's the day. We either go down fighting, or we escape to Patch. We'll be leaving within the hour, so pack your things for a short dash to the docks, where Tangia's boat will be docked, and we'll cast off." He leapt off the table, making his way to Yang.

"That's the plan?" Yang asked. "I'm in. Just tell me when we leave, and I'll be helping you."

"Perfect. Thank you so much. It'll make the chances a lot better with you. I'm Ray, by the way. I never got your name?"

"Yang," she replied, extending her hand to shake.

"Well, Yang, anything you'll need?"

"No. There's nothing." Yang watched as Ray shrugged and left, attending to his people.

I suppose that this is my last act. Get these people to safety and pay for my mistakes. Yang shivered as she remembered her dream, but shook it off. There was other work for her to do.

oOo

Yang raced ahead of the group, blasting through the slowly increasing number of Grimm and Corrupted. She cut down the last one, herding the group onto the boat as she guarded their backs. The Grimm were growing fiercer, but Yang stood her ground. It was only when Blake stepped forward that true fear latched its cold tendrils on her heart. The boat was leaving then, but the Grimm launched themselves towards the boat, only to be either killed by the Huntress, or to not reach the boat at all.

Blake snarled as her small army was reduced to shreds. "You can try running from me, Yang," Blake screamed, "but you will never escape me! I will hunt you until you accept your fate."

Yang stared back at her, watching the Faunus diminish into nothing.

oOo

 **Several Months Later**

The bar on Patch had become quite a hotspot since the Grimm had invaded the mainland. A group of a few refugees had arrived from Vale a week ago, clinging to the life raft like it was their last chance. They had been relocated by the Reclamation Effort Department, but there were still many customers to fill the seats.

One such customer was a regular, even before she had left for Vale, only to return once the crisis had arisen. Her short blonde hair hung in her face, wet from the drink she had fallen in. She didn't seem to notice, only looking up when the bartender poured her another shot. She gulped it down, watching the news report on the screen behind the bar.

"RED is still making no progress towards reclaiming Vale," said a spokesperson on screen. "We have several field agents working hard to get any people left over out of there and getting Vale back. We are confident that our Huntsmen will defeat the Grimm, and this tragedy-"

"Turn it off," the blonde woman said. The bartender complied, frowning as thunder rumbled in the distance. Rain began to patter down on the roof. Most of the patrons made moves to return home, but the blonde woman did no such thing.

"Not heading home yet?"

"Why would I?" she asked with a self deprecating grin. "I've got all I need right here." She set the glass on the counter unsteadily. The bartender filled it once more.

oOo

 **A/N: This is the final chapter in this part of the story! Yay! I'll be continuing this in a sequel, just because there's a few loose ends to tie up, but that'll be a while, and the ending on this part is so final that I need to split it up. All the reviews and favorites are appreciated, so many thanks to those who have had enough patience for this. Anyways, thanks for reading this story!**


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